Little Ayah was born weighing just over 1lb and given no hope of survival - but just look at her now

She was born 23 weeks into her mother's pregnancy

by Jessica Walford

15:35, 1 Oct 2017Updated16:36, 1 Oct 2017

Ayah at just five days old

When mum Christie Leigh Malik gave birth to a baby at 23 weeks weighing just over a pound, she feared the worst.

The 28-year-old from Pontypridd had already given birth to a stillborn daughter in 2013 and thought she was about to go through the same horrific experience again.

But Baby Ayah, which means miracle in Arabic, beat the odds and defied doctors to go home without needing any oxygen or feeding tubes – proving she really is a miracle child.

Baby Ayah was born on March 1 weighing a tiny 1lb 1oz at Singleton Hospital in Swansea.

But for mum Christie, the days leading up to the birth were traumatic.

Ayah was given a very slim chance of survival

“I went for my 20-week scan and everything was perfect. Then I had a bleed at 22 weeks and I thought this is not quite right,” she said.

“I phoned my midwife and she said go down to the labour ward and see what they say. I went and they did tests, and then they did an internal one. They said I was four centimetres dilated and in labour.

“I was in shock and thinking if I was to give birth now, what would happen – it was way too early. I was given the statistics, and told if baby comes now there’s not a very good chance.

“My consultant said what would I like to do. I lost a baby, another little girl who was stillborn, so I was like at the end of the day, this is my baby. I want my baby. You do whatever you’ve got to do, because this baby was so very wanted.

“I thought I can’t do this again. I’m not strong enough. You can’t imagine losing one, never mind losing another.

“I thought I was being punished. I thought is it me, is my body failing? I’m not a religious person, but I would pray.

“When you go through something, you grasp onto any bit of hope or faith just to get you through it. If she was fighting, I was going to fight with her. No doubt about that. She is my world.”

Ayah with mum Christie

Then Christie faced another problem – there were no cots available for her if she gave birth.

Eventually, after waiting for three hours, a cot was found at Singleton Hospital in Swansea. But it was a long drive to get there.

“In the ambulance, a midwife came with me and said if you were to go into labour now, there’s nothing I can do to help the baby. I’ve just got to concentrate on you. It took forever to get there, but we did.

“It was just a waiting game really. I was in Singleton for two days before my waters broke. At that, I was 23 weeks and one day pregnant. Every day counted so much then.”

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Ayah was born on March 1, but being so premature, her chances of surviving were slim.

“They said to me if baby comes out with signs of life, then we will do everything we can to help baby. But if baby comes out with no signs of life, then we’re sorry but we can’t do anything,” Christie said.

“I’ve already lost a baby, so I know the feeling, and I didn’t want to go through all that again. With the statistics they had given me, it wasn’t looking very good. But I had to have hope.”

(Image: Christie Leigh Malik)

Being born at 23 weeks meant Ayah was rushed off to a neonatal unit. But Christie spent every day with her.

“I went to see her one or two hours after and she was so tiny. Her skin was transparent. I was looking at her and thinking how something so small, so tiny, with everything so perfect, is fighting for her life. How can something like this survive? But she looked so small. Her skin was tacky, so when I touched her, my fingers were sticking to her skin.

“Everyday, you just don’t know what’s going to happen. I would not leave her side. I was talking to her, singing to her, telling her about her big sister, and saying I’m so proud of you, you’re so strong, mummy loves you so much. I was encouraging her to keep on fighting.

“It was an emotional time, but it was such a massive rollercoaster. One day you could have a really good day, the next minute things can switch.

“It felt like you were on the top of a rollercoaster – one minute you’re on a high and then the minute you’re at the bottom where you feel like your heart’s in your mouth.

“You don’t hear of 23-weekers being born and surviving. She was so small she could fit in the palm of my hand.”

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After eight weeks, and without any oxygen or feeding tubes, Ayah and mum Christie were transferred from Singleton to the Royal Glamorgan Hospital near Llantrisant. After 21 weeks, Ayah was taken home to join her big sister, 10-year-old Aisha.

Now Ayah is a bubbly, bouncy little 30-week-old baby – and Christie can’t believe her luck.

Ayah made a miraculous recovery

“She’s doing absolutely amazing. She gives you the biggest smiles and tries to talk back when you’re speaking to her. She’s such a good baby. She feeds every five hours, she’s so laid back and lets me sleep. It’s a perfect baby. After everything we’ve been through, it’s like nothing phases her anymore.”

Ayah's all smiles

She added: “When she was born, we didn’t have a name. So I was looking at names and saw Ayah, and thought, you know what, that’s her. That is definitely her.

“She is a miracle. Everybody who sees her or hears her story, they say she is a miracle.”